Russell is a second-year history student.
By Joseph W. Russell
The center of a political spectrum is a dynamic place, because
unlike the extreme, a person is not confined to abiding by
premeditated dogma and old values that no longer apply to our
world. That’s why I choose to be a moderate Republican.
In his article on a Republican semi-annual convention
(“Support
new Republican revolution,” Daily Bruin, Viewpoint, Feb.
14), Jason De Son makes excellent observations. Dick Riordan,
though he has his flaws, is the type of conservative most
Republicans should be striving to resemble. Riordan does not
compromise what he believes is right and what he believes people
want, because of what he’s told by party leaders.
Republicans, for example, traditionally support the death
penalty and they oppose abortion. Yet, in the past, Riordan has
expressed reservations about both the death penalty and the
anti-abortion philosophy. This doesn’t mean he opposes the
Republican Party, it just means he doesn’t want other people
deciding on what policies he should favor; only his constituents
are responsible for that. If he thinks the death penalty is
unethical or used to a disproportional level against one minority
so that it borders on racial discrimination, like many other
Republicans believe, then he should be entitled to his own
opinion.
Since most Republicans adhere to the ideology of right wing
institutions, such as religion, it is important to know to what
extent these institutions affect their policy-making priorities
““ and whether they should have that influence at all.
The spine of the Republican Party, whether most choose to admit
it or overlook it, doesn’t lie on safeguarding American
morals and religious values; it lies in securing economic freedom
and justice.
Republicans are entrusted with maintaining the integrity of the
capitalist system against the demands of social programs and
non-business oriented spending. Its purpose for advocating smaller
government is to encourage less government oversight of
business.
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with believing this.
There really is no other alternative to capitalism that has worked
as efficiently elsewhere in the world ““ thus, we should
support Republican stances in favor of business freedom and
independence.
But the thing that makes me a “moderate” is
separating myself from what almost all Republicans in Congress and
those I know personally share in common: the inability to separate
their ideology from that deemed appropriate by religious and other
conservative organizations.
I think moderates are best characterized as pragmatists. For
example, why are abortions an issue of legal debate? If you
don’t support abortions, then don’t have them ““
keep your conscience clean. But if someone does support abortions,
why antagonize them? Let them choose. If you’re religious,
don’t you think they’re going to hell anyway? So
there’s no big deal in fighting it. Just let everyone deal
with their own conscience and actions for themselves.
Rights for gays is also an issue on which I split with the
party. The gay community is not committing acts of injustice
against the U.S. population. Giving gays rights will overcome a
huge political border that has kept them away from the GOP. Once
this is shattered, we can get over the sexual orientation divide
and recruit talented, conservative gays into the Republican Party.
If religion is what creates conflict with this issue, why not just
maintain those views privately? Religious convictions are meant to
be subjective anyway.
A further example of party divisiveness is the extent to which
social programs should be developed and offered, depending on
taxation levels. Again, it makes sense not to oppose some social
programs as they are necessary for people with disabilities, the
homeless or those in significant financial misery. If there are
social programs that accomplish good and do not require substantial
funding, why not support them? It’s no good to be the richest
nation in the world when we don’t pay for public service that
benefits thousands. A lot of people who feel they deserve to keep
every penny they earn are stifling the opportunities this country
has to develop amazing programs at massive levels.
These and many other goals are shared by many moderates; whoever
wants our votes will do something about it. The key thing to
remember is to be less uptight about things that can be solved very
easily or that can be taken away as an impediment to GOP growth. It
may not seem to be the case now, but eventually people will tire of
both extreme liberalism and conservatism.